The text describes and mentioned Catholic church in Pskov, a brief history of this parish and the people in charge of it, including the current parish priest, Father Justin Witkowski, and Father Ildefons Leszczynski. The author mentions that Fr Hołowinski, Fr Kahn and Fr Lipski also contributed to the upkeep of the church. (Source: Tygodnik Illustrowany, Warsaw 1864, T:9, p. 184., after: Digital Library of the University of Łódź).

A modernised reading of the text

Catholic Church in Pskov.

Pskov, situated by the rivers Pskovka and Velika, surrounded by ancient walls and fortification ramparts, today has a population of around 43,000. It is characterised by straight, wide streets and mostly brick buildings, among which are 37 Orthodox churches and one Catholic church, modestly situated on a secluded spot, having as its neighbour the ancient fortification rampart surrounding the city. It was in this church that, comforted and consoled by the elevation of my thoughts to God, I decided to make a drawing of it and a description of it, as far as it was possible in haste, and to send it to you, my countrymen.

In 1803 there were 90 Catholics living in the city of Pskov. Among them, Lawrence Cari, a native of Italy, together with Father Marcin Szymanowski, the parson of Bolov, in the then Vitebsk region, asked for permission to build a Catholic church in Pskov. As a result of this request, an order was issued to the Orthodox archdiocesan authority to cede an Orthodox church for a Catholic church, but a fund was granted for the cost of its conversion in the amount of 3 333 gr. 10. The Catholics, having ceded to themselves an Orthodox church made of quarried stone, converted it into a chapel for about 60 people.

In 1804, the chapel was consecrated to the Holy Trinity. From then on, a Catholic priest lived there and the Pskov parish was formed. In 1806, the Pskov parishioners bought a house adjacent to the chapel, together with outbuildings, to house the priest and church ministry. In 1831, when the population of this parish had grown to 1,000 people and had no room in the slender chapel, clamouring for the divine altar, thought began to be given to remedying this inconvenience.

The Pskov parish, scattered throughout the governorate and hence cumbersome for a Catholic priest to serve, was in the care of the Dominican priests. When the parish's endowment was too small, in 1844 the archdiocesan authority appointed a lay clergy priest. However, the difficulty of assuming these duties was so great that Archpriest Dmochowski saw himself compelled to call missionary priests to take care of the Pskov parish in the name of the Gospel. The superior of the missionary priests Fr. Erdman chose for this post the chaplain of the district school in the city of Pruzhany, Fr. Justin Witkowski, who took over the Pskov parish on October 1, 1850. Fr Witkowski, seeing the favourable disposition of the parishioners, knew how to turn it to the advantage of all; tireless in his work and efforts, after a common agreement, he came up with the idea of erecting the Lord's temple, the size of which was appropriate to the needs of the parish.

In 1852, he asked the competent authorities for permission to build a church, on the condition that the parish should bear the construction costs itself. The plan of the church, drawn up by the engineer Antonem Janiewicz, required the sum of zl. 38,666 gr. Witkowski, who at the time had only 4,000 zl. 4,000, he did not lose heart, but taking responsibility for covering the costs of the construction, he started it in the name of God, under the protection of St Vincent de Paul, the father of the poor, and on 27 April 1854 the foundation stone was laid. In his endeavour, Fr Witkowski proved that a strong and sincere resolution always succeeds.

Without ceasing in his efforts and work, with varying degrees of success, he multiplied the funds and offerings to the glory of God, until he finally lived to see the day of 15 August 1855, when the bell of the new Catholic church summoned the parishioners to the dedication ceremony. Fr Antoni Fijałkowski, then prelate of Vilnius Cathedral, consecrated the Pskov church in the presence of the assembled parishioners and Catholic clergy from St Petersburg, and in 1857, on 23 June, Fr Waclaw Żyliński, Archbishop of Mogilev, consecrated it under the name of Holy Trinity.

At present, the Pskov parish has a population of 1,500. The parish priest is Fr Justyn Witkowski, honorary canon of Mogilev, and his assistant is Fr Ildefons Leszczynski from the congregation of missionary priests, who is also chaplain of the military school. The contributions collected for the erection of the church in Pskov were willingly given by all, and paintings for this temple were donated by Fr. Hołowiński, Metropolitan, Fr. Kahn, Bishop of Tiraspol, Fr. Lipski, suffragan of Tiraspol and Podernia. The Pskov church, though modest, is distinguished by its purity and charm, and in its secluded serenity has much charm for the wanderer.

Thank you, venerable Fr Witkowski, to you, parishioners and Christians! You have paid homage to the Most High, and opened the gates of the Lord's temple to those in need of religious consolation and comfort.